Raymond, Cote want to put names on Grey Cup (with video)

Calgary Stampeders running back Rob Cote, right, seen celebrating a touchdown earlier this month with teammate Kamar Jorden, is looking to get his name on the Grey Cup.

Photograph by: Ted Rhodes
, Calgary Herald

They have the rings, which are always nice to flash once in a while. The Grey Cup bonus money was nice, too, although it’s long been spent. There is one thing missing from the fairy tale story though.

Both Keon Raymond and Rob Cote are Grey Cup champions, having been part of the Calgary Stampeders team that beat the Montreal Alouettes in 2008 for the franchise’s sixth championship.

The memory is a bit different from the other players still remaining with the Stamps from that title. Raymond and Cote weren’t in uniform that day. Somebody had to be the healthy scratches, and they were two of the four.

That means although they took part all season and helped get the victory, you won’t find their names on the Grey Cup. Only the names of the 42 men in uniform that day get engraved on the chalice.

“It just didn’t feel the same,” said Cote, the fullback who was a mere 22 years old that season. “I know the logic about it. I will tell the practice roster guys and the guys who aren’t dressing they are just as much a part of it as we are.

“It doesn’t truly feel that way. Legacy or not, I’m not a planner. I can’t see that far into the future. I know this is something we as a team need to accomplish. Me personally, I need to be able to accomplish this in order to be truly satisfied with my career.”

Raymond went through a roller-coaster during that week in November 2008. With Brandon Browner iffy with a fracture in his ankle, Raymond thought he might be playing, right up until game time. He took a seat when Browner completed warm-up, and the now New England Patriots cornerback did an admirable job playing through pain.

Raymond celebrated with the team, knowing that as a rookie defensive back he would likely get another chance to participate. So far it’s slipped by his fingertips.

“To have that opportunity in 2012, it was all I thought about,” Raymond said. “I don’t think I really took advantage of it. To have my name of that Grey Cup, knowing the history and legacy behind it, in this league and this country, and that it will stand, it means a lot.

“I’ve given everything I have to this league and to this team. For me to have my name on there showing that I’m one of the guys who played in the game and won, it will mean the world. I’m going to make sure I prepare myself and put myself in the right situation and get the right opportunities to have my name it.”

Defensive back Keon Raymond talks about going to Grey Cup as the Calgary Stampeders held a media availability the day after the team won the Western final over Edmonton earning them a spot in the 2014 Grey Cup. Lorraine Hjalte/Calgary Herald)

Ever since that season, the Stamps have tried desperately to get back to where they are now — on the cusp of another Grey Cup win. Two years ago, the Stamps were there, but the Toronto Argonauts stood in their way.

It was Raymond and Cote’s first action in the big game, and it ended in disappointment.

Now into their seventh and eighth seasons, respectively, the two are stalwarts on either side of the ball, both having won the prestigious President’s Ring voted on by peers for leadership qualities.

Time is ticking away. Both of them vow preparation won’t be an issue in Sunday’s opportunity against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Vancouver.

“For guys who want it as much as me and Rob, and we’ve been here for so long, we’re seasoned now,” Raymond said. “To have that opportunity to get our names on it, I will likely be speechless. I will probably cry on the middle of the field. We have to make sure we prepared ourselves to get ready so we don’t have any more disappointments.”

Cote will be a big part of this game as it gets going too. As a team captain, he will be out there for the coin toss. Looking back on his career, he can only marvel at how far the journey has been to get here.

“I was a kid then,” Cote said about 2008. “It’s been a lot of fun to progress and grow within this team as a football player, as a human being and a leader in the locker-room.

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